Ted Cruz Apologizes to ‘The Millions of New Yorkers Who Have Been Let Down by Liberal Politicians’

Sen. Ted Cruz, whose attack on Donald Trump during Thursday’s Republican presidential debate in South Carolina for his “New York Values” drew a pointed response from the Manhattan-based GOP front runner, issued an apology to New Yorkers tonight.

The apology, however, was not for using the term “New York Values,” but instead “to the millions of New Yorkers who have been let down by liberal politicians in that state.”

“It’s been an interesting 24 hours, where Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo and New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio and Hillary Clinton have all demanded an apology because they’re apparently unhappy about people acknowledging that they have embraced New York values. So I’ve heard their demands, and I am happy to give them an apology,” Cruz told Sean Hannity on his nationally syndicated radio show Friday.

“I apologize to the millions of New Yorkers who have been abandoned by liberal politicians,” Cruz said.

“I apologize to the working men and women of New York who were denied jobs, jobs that have been plentiful just south in Pennsylvania, because Governor Cuomo banned fracking,” Cruz added, then went down a list of other New Yorkers he apologized to in a full statement released shortly after his appearance on Hannity, which read:

Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio have all demanded an apology. I’m happy to apologize:

I apologize to the millions of New Yorkers who have been let down by liberal politicians in that state.

I apologize to the hard working men and women of the state of New York who have been denied jobs because Governor Cuomo won’t allow fracking. Even though there had been many high paying jobs just south in Pennsylvania, New Yorkers are denied the ability to provide for their families.

I apologize to all the pro-life and pro-marriage and pro-second amendment New Yorkers who were told by Governor Cuomo that they have no place in New York because that’s not who New Yorkers are.

I apologize to all the small businesses who have been driven out of New York city by crushing taxes and regulations.

I apologize to the millions of unborn children, many African-American and Hispanic, whose lives have been taken by politicians who relentlessly promote abortion on demand with no limitations.

I apologize to all of the African-American children who Mayor de Blasio tried to throw out of their charter schools that were providing a lifeline to the American Dream.

I apologize to the people of New York who are offended when the New York Daily News lambastes anyone who prays for victims of violence.

I apologize to the people of faith who are ridiculed and insulted by the New York media.

And I apologize to all the cops and the firefighters and 9/11 heroes who had no choice but to stand and turn their backs on Mayor de Blasio, because Mayor de Blasio over and over again stands with the looters and criminals rather than the brave men and women of the law.

And to the millions of conservatives–working men and women in New York, with common sense values, trapped by the failures of your political leaders–I am glad to tell you, help us on the way. 2016, like 1980, will bring America back.

“Wow. That is a powerful statement,” Hannity told Cruz.

“You’re right about one thing,” Hannity added. “If you want to see how to mismanage a state and a city–and I’m here–you can look at New York,” Hannity said.

“One time I asked Donald Trump that,” Hannity told Cruz.

“I said ‘You would save nearly 15 percent.’ He’s just a New Yorker through and through. He said ‘Nah, I don’t want to leave. I’ve thought about it, but I don’t want to leave,'” Hannity noted.

“It’s striking that Donald said last night he was offended and insulted that I observed that he has embodied New York values,” Cruz told Hannity.

“I would note that that assessment didn’t come from me. It came from Donald J. Trump. Trump did a long interview with [the late] Tim Russert,” Cruz pointed out.

Hannity then played the interview of Trump by Russert, who died in 2008.
“I hate the concept of abortion,” Trump told Russert in the interview. The rest of the transcript reads as follows:

Trump: I hate it. I hate everything it stands for… but, still, I just believe in choice. Again, it may be a little bit of a New York background. Because there is some different attitude in different parts of the country. And you know, I was raised in New York. I grew up and worked and everything else in New York City.

But I am strongly for choice, and I hate the concept of abortion.

Russert: But you would not ban it.

Trump: No.

Russert: Or ban partial birth abortions.

Trump: No. I am pro-choice in every respect.

“Do you accept that he’s changed?” Hannity asked Cruz after playing the audio clip of Trump’s answers to Russert.

“He says he does, and that’s an assessment for the voters to take up,” Cruz responded.